Animal and bird member operated vaccinator

ABSTRACT

An electrically powered vaccinator operated by a body member of the bird or animal being vaccinated, usually the wing or leg of a chicken, which is manually brought into slight pressure contact with a plate operating a power-controlling switch, so that a vaccine applicator of needle or spray type is actuated at the instant that the body member is in optimum position for injection or spraying. The switch and contact plate assembly is shiftably mounted for multiple uses and the dosage and/or penetration of the body member is adjustable.

United States Patent Lyon et al.

[ Feb. 15, 1972 [54] ANIMAL AND BIRD MEMBER OPERATED VACCINATOR [72]Inventors: James Lyon, P.0. Box 30, San Diego, Calif. 92112; Edward M.Hendrix, Rte. 2, Bentonville, Ark. 72712 221 Filed: Dec. 5, 1969 21Appl.No.: 882,474

[51] lnt.Cl. ..A6 lm 5/20 [58] FieldofSearch .4128/218R,2l8A,218F,253;43/131 56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,362,406 1/1968Logsdon ..128/218R 3,302,645 2/1967 bockmiller 1 28/253 UX 2,591,4574/1952 Maynes ....l28/218 F 3,217,445 11/1965 Wade ..43/131 PrimaryExaminer-Lucie H. Laudenslager Attorney-Knox & Knox [57] ABSTRACT Anelectrically powered vaccinator operated by a body member of the bird oranimal being vaccinated, usually the wing or leg of a chicken, which ismanually brought into slight pressure contact with a plate operating apower-controlling switch, so that a vaccine applicator of needle orspray type is actuated at the instant that the body member is in optimumposition for injection or spraying. The switch and contact plateassembly is shiftably mounted for multiple uses and the dosage and/orpenetration of the body member is adjustable.

' 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEBHB 15 I912 y l \w y lIIIIIIIIIIIII L' i Fig.5

INVENTOR. JAMES LYON EDWARD M. HENDRICKS 15am 814Z1aac BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION sizes and ages of the chickens or other animals. Where a beakcauterizer such as that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,463,155 isalreadyavailable, the instant invention can be incorporated therewith toprovide auxiliary equipment enabling either a sprayor needle-typevaccinator to be selectively clipped in place for alternative andimmediate use. In prior usage the body member of the chicken has beenheld while the vaccine applicator was eitherentirely operated by hand orsemiautomatically power operated with the power controlled by a hand orknee-operated switch. This prior equipment left something to be desiredin timing and uniformity in the administration of the vaccine. Humanerror due to ineptness or weariness of th operator severely affectedefficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A I A vaccinator characterized by anelectrically powered syringe operated by direct contact with a switch ofa body member such as a wing or leg so that said body member is properlyand optimally positioned relative to the syringe at the instant ofapplication of the vaccine. The switch is incorporated with a pressureplate against which the body member is manually pressed and the pressureplate is locally relieved to allow effective access of the vaccineapplicator to the body member. Adjustment of dosage and penetration whena needle is used is provided for by making the syringe stroke variableand pressure plate adjustable relative to the applicator.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a side elevation of thevaccinator assembly;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end view taken from the right-hand endof FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional, view taken on the line 4-4 inFIG. I, to show the quick attach and release means for the replaceablesyringe; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the pressure plate andreleasable mounting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A suitable supporting frame orcabinet is indicated generally by the numeral 10. This may be thecabinet of a beak cauterizer such as that disclosed in US. Pat. No.3,463,155 with an attachable vertical wall portion 12 to which issecured an electrically powered syringe 14. The syringe may be ofconventional form with opposed finger pieces 16 removably clamped inplace by somewhat elongated wing plates 18 secured by pivot members 20which may be bolts. Further stabilization of the syringe is accomplishedby the simple spring clip 22. The wing plates 18 are spring biased intofrictional contact with the finger pieces by springs 24 and spacersleeves 26 hold a syringe seat plate 28 spaced from the vertical wallportion 12 of the cabinet so that the syringe is positioned on the sideof the frame as indicated in FIG. 4.

A vaccine reservoir container 30 feeds into the barrel of the syringe I4and the syringe is provided with an applicator element 32 which may beof either penetrating needle or spray type. If the spray type is used,when chickens are being vaccinated. a few feathers are plucked toprovide small areas with open follicles at the point of innoculationthus assuring proper exposure to the vaccine spray.

Perfect timing of the electrically operated syringe actuation isaccomplished by a control switch, indicated as a microswitch 34 which isnormally open and is closed by a pressure plate 36 when the latter ispressed toward the syrin e by direct pressure contact therewith of abody member 0 the bird or animal being vaccinated. Ordinarily the birdor animal will be manually'held.

The pressure plate 36 is relieved, as for example by anaperture 38,opposite to the vaccine applicator element 32 and'essentially pivotalmounting of the pressure plate is accomplished by pivot bolts 40 with aspring 42 biasing the plate outwardly for the OFF position ofmicroswitch 34. Both switch 34 and pressure plate 36 are thus mounted ona subframe 44 removably and adjustably bolted and clamped to the wallportion 12 as at 46 and 48. This structure permits the switchassembly,and particularly the pressure plate, to be adjusted relative to thevaccine applicator element 32, for variation of penetration and/or sprayaction.

Actuation of the microswitch 34 closes'an electric circuit, not deemednecessary to illustrate, through a solenoid 50 and rheostat 52 in seriesso that a variable impulse provides a corresponding movement of anarmature 54 which is resiliently coupled to a bellcrank 56 by a spring58 on the armature 54, the latter being threaded to receive aspring-adjusting nut 60. The wall portion 12 may have a top flange 62providing a seat for the rheostat 52 and a steadying member 64 may beprovided to hook securely onto the supporting frame or cabinet 10. Y

The bellcrank 56 has a pivotal connection 66 and an arm 68 carrying asyringe drive pin 70with bearing sleeves 72. The syringe 14 has aplunger with a head 74 biased to retracted position by a. coaxial spring76. Further biasing in the same direction is provided by a spring 78under tension between the bellcrank arm 68 and the wall portion 12. Thislast-mentioned spring is also adjustable asindicated at 80. v I

From the foregoing description of one preferred embodiment of thisinvention it will be evident that a body member of a bird or otheranimal manually pressed against the, pressure plate 36 will actuatemicroswitch 34 to closed position, thus actuating the syringe 14 at theinstant that the body member is I tion or spray action can be accuratelyadjusted for repetitive use. I

What is claimed as new is: l. A frame having a wall portion (12) with asyringe seat plate (28) and coacting wing plates (18);

a multiple dose syringe mounted on said seat plate and having fingerpieces 16) clamped in place by said wing plates, said syringe having avaccine applicator element and a plunger operatively mounted in avaccine-receiving cylinder;

an electromechanical actuator for said syringe operatively mounted onsaid frame; 7

a switch connected to control the functioning of said actuator; and

a pressure plate operatively mounted adjacent said vaccine applicatorand accessible for pressure contact by a body member ofthe animal orbird vaccinated to close said switch and actuate the plunger of thesyringe only upon a predetermined movement of said pressure platecorresponding tirnewise to a predetermined optimal positioning at theinstant of maximum penetration of said body member by said vaccineapplicator needle.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said syringe is of needletype.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said pressure for said optimalpositioning as to needle penetration prior to switch actuation andsyringe actuation.

1. A frame having a wall portion (12) with a syringe seat plate (28) andcoacting wing plates (18); a multiple dose syringe mounted on said seatplate and having finger pieces (16) clamped in place by said wingplates, said syringe having a vaccine applicator element and a plungeroperatively mounted in a vaccine-receiving cylinder; anelectromechanical actuator for said syringe operatively mounted on saidframe; a switch connected to control the functioning of said actuator;and a pressure plate operatively mounted adjacent said vaccineapplicator and accessible for pressure contact by a body member of theanimal or bird vaccinated to close said switch anD actuate the plungerof the syringe only upon a predetermined movement of said pressure platecorresponding timewise to a predetermined optimal positioning at theinstant of maximum penetration of said body member by said vaccineapplicator needle.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein saidsyringe is of needle type.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 whereinsaid pressure plate is adjustable relative to said vaccine applicatorneedle for said optimal positioning as to needle penetration prior toswitch actuation and syringe actuation.